Shop 'til You Get Dropped
The other day I'd been shopping way too long at the Super Center. I was
wrestling my two-ton cart around, looking for a check-out lane with less than a
MULTITUDE of people in it (biblically speaking). I wanted to get out of the
store sometime before the next dawn. Then suddenly, oh glory of glories, the
checker in the "20 items or less" lane had a miraculous break in her line. She
motioned me and my semi-truck-sized cart over to her lane. I felt like the Red
Sea had just parted. It was a spiritual moment.
No sooner had I unloaded one of the two tons, when a long line of those genuine
"20 items or less" shoppers slipped in behind me. Angrily. I could feel them
counting. I wanted to say, "Look guys, she motioned me over," but I decided
against it. Why drag the checker down with me? I decided against eye contact all
together. After all, I was in a store that sold hunting artillery. I opted for
staying quiet and trying not to hyperventilate. Road rage? Puh! LANE RAGE. Now
there's some danger. I would've been reasonably okay with a "shop 'til you drop"
kind of day. I've had those before. But this was one of those "shop 'til someone
drops you" scenarios. Somehow that was so much scarier.
I guess we're all tempted every now and then to slough off the hero role and
take the low road. The Lone Ranger gets shoved over for the Lane Rager. It
reminds us all to put on all the patience and love we're called to. Ephesians
4:2 says, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another
in love." In addition, patience and love can demonstrate the love of Christ and
the difference his love makes in our lives.
"Bearing with one another in love" can also keep shoppers from having to sprint
through the parking lot to their cars with two-tons of bagged merchandise. In a
serpentine manner.
Rhonda Rhea rrhea@juno.com